Democrats wage all-nighter but fail to block labor law bill

A bill that would limit collective bargaining rights for public workers in Iowa passed the Labor Committee of the Iowa House early this morning. Democrats on the panel tried all night to block the vote, adding 50 amendments, all of which were voted down.

Representative Kirsten Running-Marquardt, a Democrat from Cedar Rapids, urged her colleagues to keep collective bargaining rights in place for Iowa’s public employees.

Running-Marquardt says, “We are willing to go all night long here, tomorrow, through the weekend, however long we need to take, so we will not take away rights from police officers, firefighters teachers, state troopers and all of our other workers.”

During her speech in the midst of the all-nighter, she pleaded the case for Iowa’s public workers.

“They clear our streets after a snowstorm,” Running-Marquardt said. “When you’re driving home tonight or tomorrow or this weekend or whenever we’re done with this bill, don’t take for granted the streets that you’re on are from hard-working people who care and professionals.”

The bill was passed around 6 o’clock this morning on a party line vote and heads now to the full House. Labor law changes proposed by the Republican governor of Wisconsin have led to extended protests in that state’s capitol.

Note: this story was updated at 2:19 pm to remove line refering to rules on votes after midnight. That rule applies to votes on the floor, not in committee.